Mary Jane makes the hearts of GPC musicians sing

The bubbles roll in the water pipes as the transparent glass closure clouds with white smoke. In an instant, the pipe clears and is passed to the next person.

This is one of many images that might come to mind when the topic of marijuana is brought up. Smoking weed is usually associated with three things: food, sleep and music.

For years, legendary bands like Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, the Beatles, and The Grateful Dead have cashed in on stoners of every age rolling blunts and hitting pipes while listening to music.

“Weed and music is the best!” laughs the Pizza Guy when asked about his opinion on marijuana and music. “It’s like bread and butter, peanut butter and jelly.”

Mr. Green works at a Metro Atlanta pizza parlor and attends classes on the Clarkston campus. Green says he smokes before, during, and sometimes after he plays. It goes with the natural high that comes with being a musician and feeling the vibrations throbbing through the body.

Not every musician smokes marijuana and plays music. Mocha Smoka, another anonymous smoker and GPC student, is a violinist and cellist but doesn’t smoke when she practices. Instead, she prefers to listen to different kinds of music while high. Different types of music help produce different feelings.

According to Mocha, the best music to listen to while under the influence is Japanese pop and mellow American alternative bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. While softer, slower and more upbeat music encourages pleasant thoughts, louder and more aggressive music can have the opposite effect.